Bayern Munich 8 - 0 Hamburger: Bayern bulldoze sorry Hamburg as Ancelotti marks managerial milestone in style

Posted Sunday, February 26, 2017 by PA

Carlo Ancelotti celebrated his 1000th competitive match in club management by watching his Bayern Munich side blow away Hamburg in an 8-0 thrashing at the Allianz Arena.

Arturo Vidal opened the scoring with a powerful drive from the edge of the box before Robert Lewandowski netted a brace, the first from the penalty spot, to give Bayern a comfortable 3-0 half-time lead.

The Poland striker completed his hat-trick on 54 minutes for Bayern's 50th league goal of the season before David Alaba, Kingsley Coman with two and Arjen Robben all struck to maintain the hosts' five-point lead over RB Leipzig at the top of the Bundesliga.

Former AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris St Germain and Real Madrid boss Ancelotti had a pre-match ceremony for his landmark match and it did not take long for his side to find their groove.

Douglas Costa, who terrorised both full-backs throughout the match, fired in a teasing cross on six minutes. It evaded the lunging Thomas Muller at the far post, but gave the visitors a taste of what was to come.

Hamburg, who also started brightly, threatened when a corner was only half-cleared to Douglas Santos, with his half-volley from 30 yards creeping just wide of Manuel Neuer's left-hand post.

Bayern finally got the party started for their Italian head coach when a neat one-two between Alaba and Costa put the former through down the left wing and the Austrian found Muller on the edge of the box, who immediately teed up Arturo Vidal to fire in a 16th-minute opener.

Bayern nearly doubled their lead straight from the restart as Alaba's left-wing cross found Lewandowski free at the far post. Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler somehow managed to tip his powerful drive from four yards which on to the crossbar.

The hosts doubled their advantage with a penalty in the 24th minute after Lewis Holtby was penalised for backing into Lewandowski. The striker picked himself up to slot his effort into the bottom corner.

Hamburg's defensive troubles grew in the 42nd minute when Muller was free to pick out Costa and, despite Adler keeping out the Brazilian's initial effort, Lewandowski was quickest to react to get his second of the afternoon.

The visitors came flying out of the blocks at the start of the second half, with Gotoku Sakai dragging an effort wide before Michael Gregoritsch's free-kick produced Neuer's only save of the match. That, though, was as good as it got for Hamburg.

A fourth goal from the hosts looked inevitable when Robben cut in from the right-wing on to his stronger left foot, but Adler did brilliantly to deny the Dutchman with a strong right hand.

But a fourth did arrive when Robben's backheeled through-ball found Lewandowski on the edge of the area and the Pole swept his finish into the bottom corner, completing his treble with his 19th Bundesliga goal of the season.

The hosts went further ahead two minutes later when a sliderule pass from Thiago Alcantara put Muller in one-on-one with Adler in the area, but he unselfishly squared the ball to the supporting Alaba to tap into an empty net.

Bayern's dominance continued with substitute Coman joining the scoresheet when he capitalised on a Johan Djourou mistake to dispatch an effort past a despairing Adler.

The 21-year-old got his second and Bayern's seventh with an unstoppable volley from 20 yards before Robben jinked his way though to complete the rout with a curling shot in the 87th minute.